Toys which are designed and constructed for infants and very young children are well known and pervasive in the art. Such toys have included so-called "plush" figures having generally soft resilient bodies covered by a flexible skin or coat and have often replicated humans, human infants or animals of a friendly appealing nature. Such toys for infants and young children have also been provided having musical apparatus for interesting the child user as well as talking apparatus for interacting with the child user. Still other forms of such toys for infants and young children have included those having motorized internal battery-power apparatus which is able to provide movement or articulation within the figure such as crawling, walking and mouth movement to further interest the child.
A popular toy for use by infants and very young children is known in the art as "push-pull" toys which have been provided in great variety and may generally be described as having a housing often replicating an animal figure or the like together with a plurality of rolling wheels. In many such toys, at least of one of the rolling wheels is in effect a drive wheel coupled to an internal mechanism within the toy housing. The result of rolling the push-pull toy across a floor surface is the rotation of the drive wheel and a transmission of energy therefrom to other active objects such as balls or the like which are agitated and so on to produce a pleasing appearance. Such toys often utilize sound in combination with the amusing action of the objects. An earlier predecessor of such toys are known generally in the art as "walker" and have similar housings supported by rolling wheels and further including a raised handle portion for the child to grasp as the young child walks with the partial support of the rolling walker. Still other toys for infants and young children have provided a carriage which supports a toy figure. In most instances, the toy figure is a plush configured to be friendly and appealing to an infant of young child.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,656,645 issued to Goldfarb sets forth a ROCKABLE WHEELED FIGURE TOY having a generally planar base supported by rolling wheels secured in an off-center relationship to the base. The base further includes a pair of side portions having a gap therebetween on each side of the base. The space between the generally planar members receives a toy figure which is pivotally secure between the two members and which is rocked back and forth as the combination rolls across the eccentric wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,697 issued to Pagano sets forth a PUSH-PULL TOY having a hollow body simulating the body of an animal and formed with a transparent or semi-transparent window. A plurality of wheels support the body which in turn supports a pivotally secured head. A plurality of pop-ejection marbles or balls are connected within the body and visible through the window. As the toy is rolled across a floor surface, the wheels rotate to provide energy which is coupled to the pop-ejection mechanism and to a cam which causes the toy head to nod up and down.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,819 issued to Oishi, et al. sets forth a SKATEBOARDING TOY having a skateboard supporting a toy figure. One wheel within the plurality of wheels supporting the skateboard is used as a drive wheel wherein a mechanism couples the energy of rotation of the wheel to a steerable front axle assembly causing the travel path of the skateboard to be multiply curved and randomized.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,362 issued to Fogarty, et al. sets forth a PROPELLABLE ARTICULATING ANIMAL TOY having a hand controlled staff defining an upper grip and a lower end together with a toy figure having rolling wheels concealed on the underside thereof. The rolling wheels actuate various articulated elements in the figure's body to provide an action as the toy figure is rolled about.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,648 issued to Marcus sets forth a WALKER TOY having sound and light modules therein. The walker unit is operated by a toddler age child for stabilizing the child during the walking exercise. The sound and light modules are responsive to movement of the walker toy for producing predetermined light and sound.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,886 issued to Wood, et al. sets forth a MULTIPLE ACTION PLUSH TOY having a toy body generally resembling a bulldog and having a front leg and paw receiving an supporting a flashlight. A police flashing light is supported on the top of the figure and responds to certain touching of the toy figure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,714 issued to Satoh, et al. sets forth a FIGURE MOVING ARTICLE having a deformible cylindrical body supporting an internal drive mechanism together with an offset drive set coupled to the top of the cylindrical body. As the shaft is driven, an oscillatory motion is provided in the upper portion of the body which is resisted by the lower portion of the body causing the body to undergo various deformations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,726 issued to Fujimaki sets forth a ANIMAL TOYS capable of electrically producing and/or body movements which are switched on and off by a pair of spaced electrical contacts disposed on a bottom surface of the animal toy. When the toy is placed in an individual's hand, the two contacts are bridged and electrical circuit completed for activating sound and/or movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,744 issued to Rehkemper, et al. sets forth a SELF-PROPELLED TOY having a tricycle wheel support which includes an articulated support for the forwardmost single wheel thereof. Battery power means are operative to drive the vehicle and to articulate the front wheel support.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,824 issued to Terzian, et al. set forth a TOY VEHICLE APPARATUS capable of varying operating characteristics. The vehicle is particularly adapted to do "trick" type operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,721 issued to Mayfield, et al. sets forth a CAT EXERCISE TOY having a base supporting an upwardly extending flexible shaft supporting a target object at the end thereof which is configured to attract a cat. Movement apparatus housed within the base cause the shaft to be moved and flexed in order to interest a cat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,890 issued to Satoh, et al. sets forth a ROTATING DRIVE DEVICE having a base supporting a pair of upwardly extending shafts having offset portions. Decorative covering of the shaft supports a plurality of elements such as leaves and flowers. As the drive unit in the base rotates the shafts, an undulating action is provided in the flowers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,307 issued to Gabler, et al. sets forth a PUSH TOY VEHICLE WITH OPERABLE MOUTH having a toy vehicle supported by a plurality of rolling wheels together with a motion converting apparatus. The body further supports a pivotal mouth coupled to at least one of the wheels by the motion converting apparatus to cause the mouth to open and close as the toy is rolled.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,236 issued to Berliner, et al. sets forth a DOLL WITH SENSING SWITCH having a flexible sensor supported within a plush object. The sensor is coupled to responsive apparatus and is triggered by the deformation of the plush toy region around the sensor as a child pushes or squeezes it.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,535 issued to Aragon, Jr. sets forth an INFANT TOY HAVING IMPACT-RESPONSIVE LIGHT GENERATING MEANS utilizing a light transparent shell, a light source in the interior of the shell, an impact or motion sensing member within the shell and a source of battery power to energize the light production when the objects sustains an impact.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have improved the art and have in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved interesting and entertaining toys for infants and very young children.